--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I wouldn't give to be seventy again!" description: "\"What I wouldn't give to be seventy again!\" — Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7e/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-1986_60th-birthday_what-i-wouldn-t-give-to-be-seventy-again_1042630.png" --- # What I wouldn't give to be seventy again! ![“What I wouldn't give to be seventy again!” quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7e/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-1986_60th-birthday_what-i-wouldn-t-give-to-be-seventy-again_1042630.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7e/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-1986_60th-birthday_what-i-wouldn-t-give-to-be-seventy-again_1042630.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7e/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-1986_60th-birthday_what-i-wouldn-t-give-to-be-seventy-again_1042630.png) > “What I wouldn't give to be seventy again!” [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Longing for youth reflects a desire to reclaim vigor and possibilities. **In simple terms:** Missing youth’s vigor. Key Takeaway Appreciate present strengths. Themes age nostalgia youth regret Mood melancholic hopeful reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - career milestones - health goals - family milestones Key Concepts Humanism psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does youth represent for you? - How can you channel that longing into present action? A Different Perspective Youth cannot be regained; focus on growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Seventies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seventies/) ## Related quotes > [At seventy-three I learned a little about the real structure of animals, plants, birds, fishes and insects. Consequently when I am eighty I'll have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hokusai/at-seventy-three-i-learned-a-little-about-the-real-structure-of/) [Hokusai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hokusai/) > [I found after seventy years that I was not a lunatic but a moron… I should have been able to do better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/i-found-after-seventy-years-that-i-was-not-a-lunatic-but-a-moron-i/) [Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/) > [Out of the seventy movies I've written some ten of them were not entirely waste product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hecht/out-of-the-seventy-movies-i-ve-written-some-ten-of-them-were-not/) [Ben Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hecht/) > [Since we are what we are, what shall we be But what we are? We are, we have Six feet and seventy years, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-spender/since-we-are-what-we-are-what-shall-we-be-but-what-we-are-we-are-we/) [Stephen Spender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-spender/) > [It's frightening how much things change in seventy-one years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-carter/it-s-frightening-how-much-things-change-in-seventy-one-years/) [Aimee Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-carter/) > [I am seventy years old, a gray age weighted with uncompromising biblical allusions. It ought to have a gray outlook, but it hasn't, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/i-am-seventy-years-old-a-gray-age-weighted-with-uncompromising/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [When you are fifty, you're neither young nor old; you're just uninteresting. When you are sixty, and still dancing, you become something of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/when-you-are-fifty-you-re-neither-young-nor-old-you-re-just/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [After seventy years of expository preaching, I have yet to touch the hem of His garment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-a-criswell/after-seventy-years-of-expository-preaching-i-have-yet-to-touch-the/) [W. A. Criswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-a-criswell/) > [I am inclined to put the zenith of success-the time of most consideration and public labor -as somewhere in the sixties, say from sixty-five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-robertson-nicoll/i-am-inclined-to-put-the-zenith-of-success-the-time-of-most/) William Robertson Nicoll > [Don't live the same year seventy-five times and call it a life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-s/don-t-live-the-same-year-seventy-five-times-and-call-it-a-life/) Robin S > [It is not quite the same when we are seventy-two as when we are twenty-seven; still I am glad of what is left, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-stone/it-is-not-quite-the-same-when-we-are-seventy-two-as-when-we-are/) [Lucy Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-stone/) > [Jose DeLeon on his career has seventy-three wins and one-hundred and five RBIs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-kiner/jose-deleon-on-his-career-has-seventy-three-wins-and-one-hundred-and/) [Ralph Kiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-kiner/) > [Being seventy is not a sin. It's not a joy, either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/golda-meir/being-seventy-is-not-a-sin-it-s-not-a-joy-either/) [Golda Meir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/golda-meir/) > [I sometimes lie awake at night and try to imagine what would be the best period in history to spend one's seventy-odd years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/i-sometimes-lie-awake-at-night-and-try-to-imagine-what-would-be-the/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [I'd rather have ten years of superhypermost than live to be seventy sitting in some goddamn chair watching TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/i-d-rather-have-ten-years-of-superhypermost-than-live-to-be-seventy/) [Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/) ## More by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Blood is a destiny. One's genius descends in the stream from long lines of ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/blood-is-a-destiny-one-s-genius-descends-in-the-stream-from-long/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [If you don't know what you want, you will probably never get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/if-you-don-t-know-what-you-want-you-will-probably-never-get-it/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Any two philosophers can tell each other all they know in two hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/any-two-philosophers-can-tell-each-other-all-they-know-in-two-hours/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It is mere childishness to expect men to believe as their fathers did; that is, if they have any minds of their own. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/it-is-mere-childishness-to-expect-men-to-believe-as-their-fathers-did/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Longevity is having a chronic disease - and taking care of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/longevity-is-having-a-chronic-disease-and-taking-care-of-it/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [As for the excellent little wretches who grow up in what they are taught, with never a scruple or a query, ... they signify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/as-for-the-excellent-little-wretches-who-grow-up-in-what-they-are/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [On every stem, on every leaf,... and at the root of everything that grew, was a professional specialist in the shape of grub, caterpillar,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/on-every-stem-on-every-leaf-and-at-the-root-of-everything-that-grew/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Three generations of imbeciles are enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/three-generations-of-imbeciles-are-enough/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [A good soldier, like a good horse, cannot be of a bad color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/a-good-soldier-like-a-good-horse-cannot-be-of-a-bad-color/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Free competition is worth more to society than it costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/free-competition-is-worth-more-to-society-than-it-costs/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Systems die; instincts remain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/systems-die-instincts-remain/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [In my opinion, economists and sociologists are the people to whom we ought to turn more than we do for instruction in the grounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/in-my-opinion-economists-and-sociologists-are-the-people-to-whom-we/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [The great end of being is to harmonize man with the order of things, and the church has been a good pitch-pipe, and may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/the-great-end-of-being-is-to-harmonize-man-with-the-order-of-things/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Between two groups of people who want to make inconsistent kinds of worlds, I see no remedy but force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/between-two-groups-of-people-who-want-to-make-inconsistent-kinds-of/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) [Explore all 193 Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) ## More 60th birthday quotes > [You've reached your 60th birthday, Bill To the year, the day, the hour You've been a lifelong country boy Along with Lily, your flower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-walter-bratton/you-ve-reached-your-60th-birthday-bill-to-the-year-the-day-the-hour/) [John Walter Bratton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-walter-bratton/) > [I don't know how you feel about old age... but in my case I didn't even see it coming. It hit me from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-diller/i-don-t-know-how-you-feel-about-old-age-but-in-my-case-i-didn-t-even/) [Phyllis Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-diller/) > [I still find each day too short..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/i-still-find-each-day-too-short/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [A man of sixty has spent twenty years in bed and over three years in eating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/a-man-of-sixty-has-spent-twenty-years-in-bed-and-over-three-years-in/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [If we could be twice young and twice old we could correct all our mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/if-we-could-be-twice-young-and-twice-old-we-could-correct-all-our/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [The longer I live, the less future there is to worry about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/the-longer-i-live-the-less-future-there-is-to-worry-about/) [Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/) > [Some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-m-joad/some-turn-to-vinegar-but-the-best-improve-with-age/) [C. E. M. Joad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-m-joad/) > [Pleas'd look forward, pleas'd to look behind,And count each birthday with a grateful mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/pleas-d-look-forward-pleas-d-to-look-behind-and-count-each-birthday/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [Every wrinkle has its story. You must have a lot of stories to tell. Happy 60th Birthday filled with lot of happiness and joy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-wrinkle-has-its-story-you-must-have-a-lot-of-stories-to-tell/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [May your 60th Birthday be as magnificent as you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/may-your-60th-birthday-be-as-magnificent-as-you-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Or hast thou known the world so long in vain?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/or-hast-thou-known-the-world-so-long-in-vain/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Wishing you all the best in your 60th Birthday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wishing-you-all-the-best-in-your-60th-birthday/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's your 60th birthday! Did you hear me? Hey...'It's your 60th birthday!' Hope your year is better than those ears!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-your-60th-birthday-did-you-hear-me-hey-it-s-your-60th-birthday/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You have to change your ID, because they made a mistake. You are not 60. You are just a 40 year old with 20 years of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-have-to-change-your-id-because-they-made-a-mistake-you-are-not-60/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If I had to live again I would do exactly the same thing. Of course I have regrets, but if you are 60 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-moore/if-i-had-to-live-again-i-would-do-exactly-the-same-thing-of-course-i/) Christy Moore Browse all 50 60th birthday quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What I wouldn't give to be seventy again!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/what-i-wouldn-t-give-to-be-seventy-again/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "60th birthday" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/what-i-wouldn-t-give-to-be-seventy-again/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7e/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-1986_60th-birthday_what-i-wouldn-t-give-to-be-seventy-again_1042630.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7e/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-1986_60th-birthday_what-i-wouldn-t-give-to-be-seventy-again_1042630.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7e/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-1986_60th-birthday_what-i-wouldn-t-give-to-be-seventy-again_1042630.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What I wouldn't give to be seventy again!” — Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What I wouldn't give to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/what-i-wouldn-t-give-to-be-seventy-again/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/what-i-wouldn-t-give-to-be-seventy-again/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```